A COHNversation with Jim

Jim Cohn, publisher of Mid-Atlantic Events Magazine, talks to people.

Tara Justice Sales & Marketing Manager Hard Rock Cafe Philadelphia

The Hard Rock Cafe Philadelphia just celebrated its 25th Anniversary featuring a blowout celebration and concert with Boyz II Men! What’s new that guests can expect this year?

Jim, as part of our 25th anniversary, the cafe localized the memorabilia on display to highlight some of our amazing local Philadelphia artists. We brought on a new Executive Chef, who is focused on bringing local flavor to our menus, and we now feature a local menu that will rotate quarterly to highlight new flavors of Philadelphia. We recently featured Hope’s Cookies, a small 100% natural bakery located in Bryn Mawr, PA, in one of our desserts. Guests can expect more local purveyors on our menu and local talent on-stage.

What makes the Hard Rock Café in Philadelphia stand out? What makes it special for travelers and group bookings?

Hard Rock Cafe is an iconic destination worldwide that spans generations as a place to create memories. It’s the perfect spot for groups to enjoy a quick bite or just to stop in for drinks. Here in Philadelphia, we feature live music every Friday night, and for sports lovers, our dining room is the best place to catch one of the teams. In addition to broadcasting all the local sports teams, we have a partnership with Oracle Red Bull Racing and will be streaming all the races this season. During the games and races, we will feature our special Game Day Menu including food and drink specials exclusively available during these events.

What can you do at Hard Rock Café Philadelphia for a group function that no other restaurants can do?

For corporate events we can help you book a Grammy-nominated artist to play at your function. For milestone birthdays you can get one of our Brownie Hot Fudge Sundaes with a special shout out for your big day. For groups, a breakfast buy out is great as our spaces are so versatile and flexible even up to 500 people.

With Hard Rock Café being such a beloved international brand, you must have some guests who make it their mission to visit as many as possible. Have you hosted any Hard Rock obsessed guests or groups lately?

Every year, Hard Rockers all over the world gather for special pin trading events where they purchase and trade specialty pins, they have collected from various Hard Rock Cafe’s around the globe. As a Hard Rock employee, we’re given the opportunity to design a unique pin that can be produced for our location exclusively. This year Hard Rock Cafe Philadelphia will be featuring a special “Philadelphia Pride” Pin that was designed by one of our employees. The special pin will be available for purchase in June, and we plan to host a pin trading event later this year. Another fun insider only secret: If you’re hosting an event at a Hard Rock property, you can get an exclusive pin designed and produced just for your event.

Have you heard what guests say about the Philadelphia, or even the Atlantic City location compared to other destinations?

Being adjacent to the Pennsylvania Convention Center, we see hundreds of thousands of visitors each year. One thing that guests always remark on is our amazing location right next to the iconic Reading Terminal Market and you can’t beat being down the shore when in Atlantic City!

Does the Hard Rock Café brand have any exciting new programming or happenings this spring?

This year we have our continued partnership with Lionel Messi and will be featuring the return of the hit Messi Burger again in our cafe. This specialty burger features Chorizo, Provolone Cheese, and Caramelized Red Onions, with the option to make it “Messi Style” with a Fried Egg and our Seasoned Fries. Here in Philadelphia, June comes jam packed with a soon-to-be-announced all-star partnership to celebrate Pride Month and month-long Pride-focused events and specials.

Visit Annapolis

March 14, 2023 – Philadelphia, PA – Around 20 hospitality industry professionals descended upon La Cucina at the Market for a fun evening featuring an exclusive, interactive culinary experience. Hosted by Visit Annapolis & Anne Arundel County, MD and their Hotel and Attraction Partners including The Hotel at Arundel Preserve, Live! Casino and Hotel Maryland, Maritime Conference Center, and Graduate Annapolis. Attendees enjoyed the Old School Philly Menu which included Tomato Bruschetta, Handmade 3 Cheese Ravioli with Vodka Blush, and Chicken Parmigiana.

“Philadelphia is a feeder market for our destination for both leisure and group business. Visit Annapolis & Anne Arundel County saw the value of hosting a planner event in-market to help grow and strengthen relationships. As events are back in full swing, we really wanted to host something unique, engaging, and memorable. La Cucina at the Market was the perfect choice for us, the food, staff, and overall experience exceeded expectations. Mid-Atlantic Events Magazine did an amazing job planning this client event and their relationships with Philadelphia planners was what helped make the event a success.” Elizabeth Joyner, Visit Annapolis & Anne Arundel County.

"The Visit Annapolis team was so eager to be there, and excited to tell us about the Annapolis area. You could tell immediately upon arrival," stated Carolyn Muldoon Sfirakis, Director of Operations & Events, Training Camp.

Visit Annapolis & Anne Arundel County CVB and their partners: Bethe Brekke, Maritime Conference Center, Becky Porzillo of Watermark, Elizabeth Joyner and Dan Cook of Visit Annapolis & Anne Arundel County, Jeffrey Clark, Graduate Annapolis, Kristen Pironis, Visit Annapolis & Anne Arundel County, Sahsha Deochand, Live! Maryland Casino and Hotel, Matthew Jones, The Hotel at Arundel Preserve and host location La Cucina at the Market Philadelphia's owner Anna Maria Florio

Pcma Philadelphia

March 30, 2023 – Philadelphia, PA – The hospitality and meetings industries celebrated its resiliency as Global Meetings Industry Day (GMID) was held around the US. The event focused on the importance of meetings, future trends, timely issues, and practical solutions. The PCMA Philadelphia hosted GMID event was held at the PA Convention Center and boasted record breaking numbers.

Speakers came from all corners of the industry, and spoke on topics such as: travel trends, changes in trajectory of meetings, staffing and workforce issues, sustainability, social justice issues, and more.

Speakers Included: Scott Higgins, Director of Sales, Valley Forge Tourism and Convention Board (panel moderator); Gregg Caren, President and CEO, Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau; Nan Marchand Beauvois, Senior VP of Membership and Industry Relations/GM, Educational Seminar for Tourism Organizations, U.S. Travel Association; Beth Mauro, Senior Director of Client Services, AH; John McNichol, President & CEO, Pennsylvania Convention Center Authority; Kellie Mayrides, Client Success Manager, Event Strategy Group and Lee-Jung Kim, Service Design Experience Lead, Pfizer Biopharma Group.

Pennsylvania Association Professionals Meet In Lancaster For Annual Connections Conference

March 30 -31, 2023 – Lancaster, PA – Over 100 attendees gathered at the Pennsylvania Society of Association Excellence (PASAE) 2023 Connections Conference this year held at the DoubleTree Resort by Hilton Lancaster.

PASAE Chair Diana Ewert kicked off conference with a warm welcome and a recognition of PASAE’s leadership. Attendees heard from industry thought leaders on a variety of topics, including workplace challenges, managing teams and volunteers, adapting to change, and finding new ways to achieve member success.

“The Connections Conference is always a great way to reconnect with other association peers and learn about the latest trends. I already have my calendar marked for next year,” said Heather Leach, Pennsylvania Recreational Vehicle and Camping Association.

Attendees enjoyed visiting the Exhibit Hall, featuring over 35 exhibitors from across the state. A new dine-around experience allowed attendees to enjoy an evening of good food with fellow members at local eateries.

Becky Cubakovic, Sheraton Pittsburgh Hotel at Station Square, was excited to meet with association professionals from across Pennsylvania. “It was so great to be in a room full of clients and friends! The energy and ambiance were amazing! Events are back! We are back!”

First-time conference attendee, Ken Willis with the Genetti Hotel & Suites Williamsport concurs. “I believe the PASAE hit a home run this year with an informative and interesting mix of speakers and topics, and some much-welcomed time for engagement between attendees and exhibitors,” said Willis.

PASAE.org • Photo Credit: J. Ryan

Megan Posey, Waterford Hotel Group, Lindsay Methlie of Destination Gettysburg, Rebecca Kim, Wind Creek Bethlehem and Courtney Babcock, Chester County CVB along with Jenny McConnell, Visit Hershey & Harrisburg, Christine Stuart, Lancaster County Convention Center & Lancaster Marriott at Penn Square and Cyndy Cosner, Hershey Resorts.

MPI-NJ 3RD ANNUAL MEETS CONFERENCE

April 3-4, 2023 – Atlantic City, NJ – Meeting Professionals International, New Jersey Chapter hosted its 3rd Annual MEETS Conference at Harrah’s Resort Atlantic City. The MEETS Conference is a premier gathering covering the Meetings, Events, Education, Travel and Sales areas of the meetings industry. With the support of 28 sponsors, 136 professionals came together to network, learn industry trends, and met with industry suppliers over the span of one and one-half days. The event provided multiple business, association, and social meetings opportunities for attendees. Some topics included: Cultivating Inclusive Workplace Interactions, The Blueprint for a Healthy Meeting, Navigating Corporate Moral Responsibility in Meetings Today and The Essentials of Empathy: Changing Culture, Building Trust & Cultivating Leaders.

mpi.org/chapters/new-jersey

Pocono Mountains well represented by Shannan Ierovnte of Kalahari Resorts & Conventions Pocono Mountains, Leigh Velez, Pocono Mountains CVB and Lauren Kautz also of the Kalahari Resorts & Conventions Pocono Mountains